


A Time for Change

by MossadHuntinDog



Series: The Family's Soul [3]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Adoption, Childbirth, F/M, Family, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-20
Updated: 2014-05-20
Packaged: 2018-01-25 21:42:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1663460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MossadHuntinDog/pseuds/MossadHuntinDog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As she cradled the baby close, she realized that this was the start, the beginning of their family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Time for Change

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: NCIS, sadly, is not mine.

"I'm nervous. What if something goes wrong?"

"Ziva, honey, calm down. Everything's in order, everything is set, you know that. Hey. Hey!" He reached out, grabbing her hand. "Everything will be fine." She nodded, tears in her eyes.

"I know, I just... I've wanted this... and... to discover it was never going to happen, and then... to find that it is..." He gently brushed the tears off her cheeks.

"I know, I've been with you, every step of the way, remember?" She nodded, curling into his chest. He held her close, taking a deep breath. "Soon. It'll all be over soon, and we'll get to hold her." He pressed a kiss to her head as the doctor stuck her head out.

"Mr. and Mrs. McGee? She's asking for you." Tim pulled away from his wife, in time to see Abby drag a protesting Tony towards them. Ducky, Jimmy, Gibbs and the Vances followed behind, not as excited as Abby was.

"Is the baby here yet? Did we miss it?"

"We were just about to go in, Abs." Tim replied, as Ziva went to the Goth, wrapping her in a hug.

"Oh, just think, Ziva, when you come out next, you'll be a mommy!" Ziva nodded, too excited to say anything.

"Mr. and Mrs. McGee? She's waiting." With a quick smile to their surrogate family, the two slipped into the delivery room.

" _Finally!"_ Tim chuckled softly, going to his sister's side.

"Hey Sarah, how're you doing, sweetie?" The college student glared at her brother, and honestly, Tim couldn't blame her. Ziva gently smacked her husband's cheek.

"Do not tease your sister, Timothy. She may just kill you, and I may just let her." Then, she took Sarah's hand, allowing her to squeeze her hand. Thanks to her breaking of her own rule- never take drinks from strangers- Sarah had found herself pregnant by another college student, after a night of drinking and dancing at a club during spring break. As soon as the father found out though, he'd fled, leaving her with really only two options- adoption or abortion. Sarah had made it as far as the parking lot before turning around and heading to Tim and Ziva's place.

Of course, when Ziva found out her sister-in-law was pregnant, it opened up old wounds; highlighting the fact that she herself would never carry a baby, and she'd all but shut down. Seeing her reaction, Sarah had turned to Tim, telling him that she wanted to give the baby up for adoption, that she wanted them to take the baby, because she knew they'd raise it and love it as their own. Besides, Sarah added, it had her DNA, so it would officially be a McGee by blood, even if Tim wasn't its father. When she'd told Ziva she wanted them to raise the baby, her sister-in-law had taken her hand, giving her a small, heartbreaking smile.

" _I want this to stop_..." Sarah bit her lip, groaning.

"I know you do, Sarah." Tim whispered; he sat behind his sister, holding her close. She dug her nails into his hand, sobbing. "Believe me, sis, I know." Ziva was silent, watching as her husband did everything he could to comfort his baby sister. With a soft word to the doctor, she slipped out of the room, suddenly overwhelmed as the realization that she was going to be a mother hit. "Ziva!"

_"Where is she going?"_ Sarah cried, turning to her brother. _"Where's she going?"_

The team looked up as Ziva slipped out into the hall, and after a moment, she hurried down the hallway, towards the small waiting area. They shared confused glances, before Abby followed. The Goth found her friend sitting in one of the chairs, wringing her hands nervously, twisting her wedding ring. "Ziva?" The woman didn't look up. "Everything okay? Sarah doing okay?"

She nodded. "Tim's with her." Abby nodded in understanding, taking a seat beside her.

"So... why are you out here? Why aren't you in there, with them?" Ziva started to shake, and slowly, Abby reached out, taking her hand.

"I cannot do this, Abby. I cannot be a mother. I..." She looked up, and the Forensic saw the tears in the former Israeli's eyes. "What if I do something that makes the baby regret me? Or that makes Tim regret marrying me? I am not fit to be a mother." She stood and began pacing nervously. Abby sighed, before getting up and going to her.

"Ziva, it won't matter if you're doing things wrong or not. What will matter is that you and Timmy will love that little baby with all your hearts, as though it had been you who carried and gave birth to her." Suddenly, Abby realized that had been the wrong thing to say as Ziva teared up again, shaking her head. "Oh, Ziva-"

"It will have Tim's DNA because he and Sarah are siblings, and possess the same DNA, but it will have none of mine. So Tim's child, yes... but not mine. Never mine." She wrapped her arms around herself, choking on a sob.

"Ziva, Tim's-" Abby turned to see Gibbs, and after a moment, she went to him.

"She's... just starting to realize that... this baby will be Timmy's but... but not hers." Gibbs squeezed her hand, and once she was gone, he went to the other woman.

"Ziver. Ziver, look at me." Slowly, Ziva turned to him, and after a moment, she threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. Sighing, Gibbs held her, letting her cry. He understood, the fear about becoming a new parent, but this... this realization that she would have no blood claim to the baby... "Ziver, you have to stop. You're going to make yourself sick, and then you'll be of no use to either Tim or the baby."

"What... what does it... matter? The baby will... will never be mine..." She hiccupped, meeting his gaze. Gibbs sighed deeply, gently caressing her cheek.

"Ziver, do you love Tim?" She nodded. "Do you love Sarah?" Another nod. "Do you love that baby?" It was hesitant, faint, but still, a nod. "Then what does it matter, who's blood is running in that baby's veins?" She opened her mouth to speak, but instead shut it, uncertain. "It doesn't matter. You can't think of one reason why it does."

"It's not my baby, it's Tim's... it's Sarah's... because it's _their blood_..."

"Ziva that isn't a reason, and you _know_ it." He replied, taking her face in his hands. "Blood is blood, that's _all_ it is. It doesn't necessarily make a family. Not one that matters. Our team is proof of that. None of us share blood, but we're a family, all of us. Blood is just as insignificant as the color of our skin. None of that makes a family, and if it does, then it makes one for the wrong reasons. That baby Sarah is having, that baby she is giving to you and Tim... that baby is going to have a better life than Sarah could ever imagine, because it's going to be _loved_ and _cherished_ , and _protected,_ because you and Tim will do everything in your power to make sure that child has the life neither of you had. It will love you for the rest of its life, because you will be its mother, in _every single way_ that matters."

Ziva hiccupped, nodding silently. Gently, Gibbs brushed the tears off her cheeks, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Ziva?" The two turned, Abby stood waiting for them. "Sarah's demanding you... get your ass back in the delivery room. The... baby's almost here and... and she wants it to meet its mother." Silent, Ziva allowed Gibbs to take her back to the room, and with a soft kiss to his cheek, she slipped back into the room.

_"Finally! Where the fuck have you been?"_ Sarah screamed, as Ziva hurried to her sister's side. She settled on the edge of the bed beside the siblings, taking Sarah's hand.

"Everything okay?" Tim whispered; Ziva nodded.

"Yeah. I just... I needed to talk to Gibbs." He pressed a kiss to his wife's head before turning back to his sister.

"One more push, Sarah!" The college student did as told, digging her nails into her sister's hand, screaming as her nine month ordeal finally ended, and a newborn's shrill cries pierced the air. She lay her head back against her brother's shoulder, gasping in air. When she was finally able to catch her breath, she looked up at her brother.

"Congratulations, Daddy." He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her head, watching as the doctor cleaned the baby, weighed and measured her before wrapping her in a pink blanket. She held the bundle out to Sarah, who shook her head, nodding towards her sister-in-law. "Ziva's her mother. I just gave birth to her." The doctor turned to the woman in question, holding out the newborn. Silent, Ziva turned to Sarah, who nodded, and slowly, cautiously, Ziva took the six pound five ounce bundle into her arms.

Tears slid down her cheeks, and she found she couldn't remove her gaze from the baby cradled in her embrace. She was beautiful, with dark curls and tiny little fingers and hands; gently, Ziva brushed the edge of her finger over the baby's cheek, and the infant turned her head towards her. The Israeli beauty choked on a sob, staring into the baby's blue eyes, eyes that would turn green as she got older. "She's... absolutely beautiful."

Sarah relaxed, taking her brother's hand. "I've thought of a name for her, Timmy." She tilted her head, looking up at her brother.

"Yeah? What is it?" She swallowed, taking a breath before speaking.

"Elizabeth. Elizabeth Rebecca. I looked it up, and Rivka is the Hebrew form of Rebecca. I think Rebecca fits better with Elizabeth than Rivka, don't you? Anyway," She continued, not allowing her brother to answer. "Rebecca for Ziva's mom and... Elizabeth for Mama." Tim met Ziva's eye, and his wife choked on a sob.

"I think it's a beautiful name, Sarah, thank you." He whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"For everything, Sarah. For... for this chance." Ziva choked out, unable to take her gaze from the baby in her arms. She couldn't believe it, she had a daughter, a beautiful baby girl, that she and Tim would love and protect with their lives. Sniffling, she forced herself to take her gaze away from the baby, turning to her husband. "Do you... want to hold your daughter?" Her husband glanced at his sister, and Sarah sat up, allowing her brother to move from behind her, settling on the bed beside her instead.

It was Tim's turn to be nervous as Ziva gently lay the baby in his arms, making sure he was holding her correctly before stepping back. He swallowed, and soon found the breath catching in his throat as he stared into the baby's face. "Hello, Elizabeth..." He took a deep breath, tears slipping down his cheeks. Ziva gently settled behind him, clasping on hand around his bicep as she wrapped her other arm around his neck, resting her cheek against his shoulder. "Hey baby girl. It's been a struggle, but, you're finally here, and Ziva and I, we couldn't be happier." Tim glanced at his sister, leaning close. Sarah shook her head, adamant against holding the baby she'd carried for nine months.

"No, Timmy, she's _your_ _daughter_ -"

"And you're her _birth mother_. She deserves to know about the woman who gave us this beautiful chance." Slowly, Sarah accepted the baby into her arms, and instantly, she felt a rush of heat in her belly; the feelings she'd suppressed for so long tugged at her heart, and she studied the baby that had given her brother and sister-in-law a chance at a family.

"I will always love you, and I will always be around if you... if you ever want to talk or... or need help ganging up on your parents or... or if you ever doubt that they love you..." She sniffled. "Don't ever doubt that. They love you with all their hearts and their souls; so much that... that they couldn't have a baby of their own, your mommy couldn't carry you, so she asked me to. And I would gladly do it again, in a heartbeat. You are so... loved, Elizabeth. So, _so loved_." She brushed a kiss to the baby's head. "I love you."

As she laid the baby back in Ziva's arms and the young Israeli slipped out into the hall to introduce the team to the newest member of their family, Tim pulled his baby sister into his arms. He pressed a kiss to her head, letting her cry. "Thank you so much, Sarah, for this chance. You don't know how much this means to Ziva and I." She sniffled, meeting her brother's eyes.

"Yes I do, Timmy. She is so lucky. She has a beautiful mommy and a brilliant daddy who love her, who will always love her."

"And you'll be a part of her life, Sarah. Ziva and I wouldn't have it any other way, you know that." She nodded, curling into her brother's chest.

Out in the hallway, as the rest of the team cooed around the baby in Ziva's arms, Gibbs glanced through the window in the door, watching as Tim pressed a kiss to his sister's head, thanking her for this precious gift. He turned back to Ziva, seeing the light in her eyes as she cradled the baby close. No matter her doubts, her fears as a mother, Ziva would do just fine.


End file.
